Parents, visitation and temporary child custody

When Florida parents of minor children are ending their marriage, temporary child custody orders might be put in place. These may become permanent after the divorce is final. There are a number of other reasons temporary child custody orders might be necessary including when a parent is incapacitated, when a parent is financially unable to care for a child or when there have been abuse allegations against the parent.

Grandparents, godparents, cousins, family friends or other family members might get temporary custody of a child in these circumstances. Whoever has custody, the order will usually spell out a few important points. It will name where the child will live, how long the agreement will last and whether there are any financial arrangements associated with it. The temporary child custody agreement will also include visitation arrangements for the parent who does not have custody.

Courts generally proceed from the point of view that children should have the opportunity to build a relationship with both parents. The noncustodial parent still usually has generous visitation rights because this is considered to be in the best interests of the child. One exception is if the child is in danger for reasons such as abuse.

A parent who is concerned about abuse or neglect from the other parent may want to discuss with an attorney. how to proceed. It might be helpful to have documentation, such as police reports or other information. The custodial parent might want to request that the noncustodial parent only be permitted supervised visitation with the child. In some cases, a judge might require a parent to complete a substance abuse program before being allowed more time with the child, but there may also be situations in which a custodial parent wants to completely block the other parent’s access.